QuoteProject
If your goal is anything but profitability - if it's to be big, or to grow fast, or to become a technology leader - you'll hit problems.
Michael Porter
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

This quote emphasizes that profitability should be the primary goal of a business, as other ambitions can lead to challenges.

Michael Porter highlights the importance of focusing on profitability in business. While aspirations such as growth, size, or market leadership are commendable, failing to prioritize profit can result in significant difficulties. By centering on financial success, companies can create sustainable growth and avoid pitfalls associated with chasing secondary goals.

Themes

ProfitabilityBusinessSuccessGrowthLeadership

In practice

Example use cases

During a business strategy meeting, you might say, 'As Michael Porter once mentioned, if profitability isn't our goal, we may face significant challenges.'

More from Michael Porter

If a strategy meets a goal: It's working. If a strategy meets a target: It's a success.
Michael PorterRead
Health care historically has been a very siloed field that's organized around medical specialties - urology, cardiac surgery, and so forth - and around the supply of these specialty services. The patient is the ping-pong ball that moves from service to service.
Michael PorterRead
As a multisport athlete, I was always fascinated with competition and how to win. At HBS and later at the Harvard Department of Economics, I was drawn to the field of competition and strategy because it tackles perhaps the most basic question in both business management and industrial economics: What determines corporate performance?
Michael PorterRead
In a period of economic downturn, the overwhelming instinct is to pare back, cut costs, and lay off. If you do that, do so with your strategy in mind. The worst mistake is to cut across the board. Instead, reconnect and recommit to a clear strategy that will distinguish yourself from others.
Michael PorterRead
I think that, too many times, business has been seen as acting in its narrow self-interest rather than, essentially, contributing more broadly to society. I think a lot of that is unintentional; I don't think that many managers are deliberately trying to be unethical or are not trying to be sensitive to social needs.
Michael PorterRead
You can't have a healthy society unless you have healthy companies that are making a profit, that are employing people and that are growing.
Michael PorterRead

Similar quotes

Owning a popular sports team is very different than any other type of business. They don't throw parades when Apple has the biggest quarter in corporate history. People don't call and email asking for anyone from the team to come visit their sick child. They don't cry as they request a jersey of their child's favorite player to be buried with them.
Mark CubanRead
The idea that business is strictly a numbers affair has always struck me as preposterous. For one thing, I've never been particularly good at numbers, but I think I've done a reasonable job with feelings. And I'm convinced that it is feelings - and feelings alone - that account for the success of the Virgin brand in all of its myriad forms.
Richard BransonRead
Helping doing business easier, we choose the name Alibaba because it is a global company. It is founded in China, but it was created for the world.
Jack MaRead
The idea that you can create a template that will work forever doesn't happen in any business. There's some really, really bright people in this business. You can't do the same thing the same way and be successful for a long period of time.
Billy BeaneRead
Cutting prices or putting things on sale is not sustainable business strategy.
Howard SchultzRead
At first, we couldn't be establishment, because we didn't have any money. We were guerrilla marketers, and we still are, a little bit. But, as we became No. 1 in our industry, we've had to modify our culture and become a bit more planned.
Phil KnightRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.